Kyle Larson loses wheel after pit stop to address different tire, assessed huge penalty

Things have gone from bad to worse for Kyle Larson at COTA. He had a track limit penalty and is now being held two laps. Larson’s pit crew took time to get a left side wheel on, extending their pit stop, but the right front is the wheel that fell off the car.

Cliff Daniels has to be wondering what happened. This is a strange penalty to see after a pit crew takes time to tighten a wheel on one side. This penalty is much worse than his stop-and-go earlier in the race.

This will essentially end Kyle Larson’s hopes of even a top-25 finish. Being held for two laps at a road course is a death sentence.

Kyle Larson's wheel had ideas of its own at Circuit of the Americas 🛞😬https://t.co/243yxoKUXPpic.twitter.com/bl8lzskMoQ

— 5 GOATs (@5GOATs_) March 2, 2025

Kyle Larson has been through a lot in this race. Really, the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization has had issues with the exception of William Byron. The 24-car is likely Hendrick’s only hope of landing a top-10 finish, let alone a win.

That loose wheel could not have come at a worse moment. Right after the stop-and-go and right at the start of Stage 3. There have been a lot of issues for multiple drivers today. There have also been questions over officiating and how NASCAR has enforced track limits.

A rough afternoon in Texas for Kyle Larson and his team.

Kyle Larson penalized for track limits

While spotters and crew chiefs tried to explain NASCAR wasn’t calling penalties in Turn 6, Kyle Larson cut Turn 3 and was penalized. There is a lot of confusion going on about which turns have track limits enforced.

So, NASCAR said that the essess would be enforced. Most teams took that to mean Turns 3-4-5-6. However, after multiple drivers were seen breaking the Turn 6 limits, questions were asked.

Apparently, NASCAR never made a penalty call in Turn 6 for the Xfinity Series race. Cup Series teams, at least most of them, did not notice. Then NASCAR officials told Cup teams it wasn’t being enforced in 6, but other officials told spotters that it was being enforced.

Amid all of that confusion and chaos, Kyle Larson had a mental fart. He blew the track limits in Turn 3 as he entered the essess. Not ideal and now his race has been hindered.

When he was hit with the penalty, Larson said, “I didn’t know they were calling 3,” according to Matt Weaver of Sportsnaut. So, maybe Larson was better off not knowing about Turn 6.